Page 36 - BusinessWest October 17, 2022
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  High-school students train at Elm Electrical as part of its summer First Step Futures program.
 Building Trades
Making the Circuit
Electrical Firms Seek Meaningful Connections with Young Talent
OBy Joseph Bednar
ver the summer, three cohorts of high-school stu- dents attended four-day training seminars, two in June and one in August, at Elm Electrical in Westfield.
Monday through Wednesday, the students received instruction and training in the state-of-the-art Elm University
multi-media classrooms and hands-on lab. Thursday, the final day, was Challenge Day, when students applied what they learned and completed a project board challenge. Elm project managers evalu- ated their work, offered feedback, and got to know the students.
It was, no doubt, an enriching experience for many. But First Steps Futures, as Elm calls it, is more than a summer camp. It’s a program, to be repeated each summer, with an eye firmly on the future of the electrical industry.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase and utilize our train-
ing facility, expose kids to the electrical field, as well as instruct our current and future workforce,” instructor Paul Asselin said. “At the same time, we can get them excited about the field and see what the kids can do. Do they follow our strict safety protocols? Do they ask questions? Do they work well with others? Is their work accu- rate? Do they have a positive attitude? This gives us a snapshot of what they’d look like as potential co-op students on the job.”
The students, in grades 10-12, were recommended by their teachers or Elm employees to attend the free training seminar. Some were, indeed, invited back as co-op students, to get a better look at the field, and give Elm a better look at what they can do.
“This program also gives kids who don’t attend a technical school the chance to see if the electrical field is something they may be interested in pursuing,” Asselin added. “Oftentimes, students who go to a traditional high school think it’s too late to go into a trade. We make sure they know there is still an opportunity to pur- sue a career in the field.”
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OCTOBER 17, 2022 BUILDING TRADES BusinessWest




















































































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